Novak Djokovic-led players’ union PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) filed a lawsuit against major tennis governing bodies ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) and ITF (International Tennis Federation) on Tuesday. The step was taken owing to the restrictive nature of the organisations that impose ‘draconian’ and restraining practices on the players.
Co-founded by the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic along with tennis player Vasek Pospisil in 2019, PTPA aims to ‘unite and mobilize tennis players in order to create transparency and equity throughout professional tennis.’ The lawsuit highlighted major issues faced by the players like financial exploitation and violation of privacy.
In a press release issued by PTPA on March 18, 2025, they accused the governing bodies of functioning as a ‘cartel’ and running a ‘corrupt system’:
The plaintiffs (PTPA) alleged that the defendants (referring to the governing bodies) operate as a cartel by implementing several ‘draconian, interlocking anti-competitive restraints and abusive practices’.
The Executive Director Ahmad Nassar highlighted issues of the system being ‘unfair’ and ‘broken’. He said in the press release:
“Tennis is broken. Behind the glamorous veneer that the Defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety.”
He also said that they had previously tried to resolve the issue interpersonally but the defendants didn’t pay heed, which led them to take the historic legal action.
“We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts.”
Since its foundation, the organisation has played a major role in the welfare of tennis players.
Novak Djokovic-led PTPA took a major action to provide legal assistance to players
Novak Djokovic-led PTPA recently announced that they would provide free legal assistance to players after tennis stars Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek faced complex legal issues owing to their doping allegations in the past year. The organisation announced the Athlete Counsel & Equity (ACE) Program in January 2025.
This was aimed at providing players facing complex legal challenges with free, world-class counsel with the help of King & Spalding LLP and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. They announced the news in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
This program was introduced to help players who might find themselves in similar situations to Sinner and Swiatek but with the less resources in terms of legal fees in the future.
